Thyroid cancer in children and adolescents in Russia after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

Keywords: increased number on incidence, comparison, pre-accidental period, post-accidental period

Abstract: The accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) April 26, 1986 turned out to be a disaster with psychological, social and health consequences for a large number of people. Release of significant quantities of radionuclide iodine led millions of people in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to radiation exposure of the thyroid gland (TG). After a few years, thyroid cancer (TC) became reality, which is still existent at present.

Before Chernobyl, in all countries thyroid cancer among children had been considered a rare disease. In Belarus, within the pre-accident period of 15 years, thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 8 children, 21 adolescents, aged 15 to 18 years, and 1,465 patients aged 19 years and older. Over the 15-year period after the accident (1986-2000), thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 703 children, 267 adolescents and 6719 adults. From 1990 to 2000 it was diagnosed in 674 children, 262 adolescents and 564 young adults who, at the time of the accident, were from 0 to 18 years old (Demidchik EP et al., 2002). After the accident, the incidence of thyroid cancer increased, compared to the pre-accident period, in children 88.5 times, in adolescents – 11.8 times, in adults – 4.6 times. In Ukraine, within the 5-years pre-accident period (1981-1985), there were 25 cases of thyroid cancer in children, whereas in the subsequent 5-years period (1986-1990.) – 61 cases, and in the next 5 years (1991 – 1995). -220 cases (Tronko ND et al., 2002). The incidence of thyroid cancer in children of Ukraine, in 1986-1990 increased 2.2 times, in 1991-1995 – 8 times, and in 1996-2000 – 8.2 times.